Hey folks. A friend gave me this frame and I am intending to build it into a road bike for myself and was looking for some advice/suggestions. Can't find too much info on the frame, seems to be a Czech company from the early 90's. Obviously I need wheels, crankset/BB shifters, derailleurs, chain, etc..Looking around on ebay I was a bit overwhelmed with the selection and price range. I am looking to spend less than $300 on the project but don't want to buy things that aren't going to work together. Do shifters/crank/cassette/derailleurs all need to be from the same group or are some interchangeable? I know you folks have probably answered these questions over and again and I appreciate in advance any help you can offer. Also wondering about the piece of metal above the BB shell where the FD would usually be attached, and the metal part at the top of the downtube? So suggestions on specific parts sizes etc all welcome!!

Stick to one company for shifters + dérailleurs. Chains, cassettes are compatible Shimano and SRAM, Campagnolo is not compatible to anything else. I'd go with Shimano, they have inexpensive stuff that already works well and the selection of (inexpensive) wheels is bigger than for Campa. I test rode a bike with Shimano's Sora group (the lowest named one), I would not get it as the levers are... crap, sorry for the harsh language. Starting from Tiagra level, stuff is in general very ok functionality and quality wise.

Less than $300? Hm. Difficult, but probably not impossible - although a set of wheels can already set you back more than that. If you are willing to invest a lot of work it should be possible with
- a used wheelset, Shimano 8spd compatible freehub (can fit 8-10 speed)
- microshift shift/brake levers (2/3 x 9 speeds) (new)
- a tapered square bottom bracket (new) + maybe a NOS (new old stock) crank set, 9 speed compatible - for a Hollowtech II BB you would need to chase and face the BB shell!
- (almost) any shimano road front and rear dérailleur, maybe new Tiagra level or NOS 105.
- cables, housing - and a rear brake
The biggest problem will be finding the wheel set. It will definitely have to be trued, tensioned and the hubs need to be overhauled.

The piece of metal on the seat tube is the mounting point for the fromt dérailleur. Get one for "brazed on" mounting (dunno what it is called in English).
The other two subs on the down tube are mounting points for the cable guides for the shift cables or for down tube shifters, but they look like something is missing.

(09-02-2013, 04:38 AM)Joe_W Wrote: Stick to one company for shifters + dérailleurs. Chains, cassettes are compatible Shimano and SRAM, Campagnolo is not compatible to anything else. I'd go with Shimano, they have inexpensive stuff that already works well and the selection of (inexpensive) wheels is bigger than for Campa. I test rode a bike with Shimano's Sora group (the lowest named one), I would not get it as the levers are... crap, sorry for the harsh language. Starting from Tiagra level, stuff is in general very ok functionality and quality wise.

Less than $300? Hm. Difficult, but probably not impossible - although a set of wheels can already set you back more than that. If you are willing to invest a lot of work it should be possible with
- a used wheelset, Shimano 8spd compatible freehub (can fit 8-10 speed)
- microshift shift/brake levers (2/3 x 9 speeds) (new)
- a tapered square bottom bracket (new) + maybe a NOS (new old stock) crank set, 9 speed compatible - for a Hollowtech II BB you would need to chase and face the BB shell!
- (almost) any shimano road front and rear dérailleur, maybe new Tiagra level or NOS 105.
- cables, housing - and a rear brake
The biggest problem will be finding the wheel set. It will definitely have to be trued, tensioned and the hubs need to be overhauled.

The piece of metal on the seat tube is the mounting point for the fromt dérailleur. Get one for "brazed on" mounting (dunno what it is called in English).
The other two subs on the down tube are mounting points for the cable guides for the shift cables or for down tube shifters, but they look like something is missing.

Thanks Joe. So I am a little limited as which FD I can use since that braze on bracket? or can I remove that and use a traditional clamp on FD. Also I see some cranksets come with a BB some without, is it easy enough to figure out which BB you need if I happen to find one for a good price that doesn't come with one. One last thing (for now!) when I see cranksets I assume the measurement (172mm etc) are for the actual arm lengths, what length should I be looking for, or is this dependent on the size of the rider and/or frame

(09-02-2013, 10:20 AM)Wilbert Wrote: So I am a little limited as which FD I can use since that braze on bracket? or can I remove that and use a traditional clamp on FD. Also I see some cranksets come with a BB some without, is it easy enough to figure out which BB you need if I happen to find one for a good price that doesn't come with one. One last thing (for now!) when I see cranksets I assume the measurement (172mm etc) are for the actual arm lengths, what length should I be looking for, or is this dependent on the size of the rider and/or frame

Thanks Nigel, will do I am tempted to strip the paint off first and try my hand at the Brasso polish technique as seen in hcjg1's thread!

* I see one of the cranksets you suggested was a Hollowtech and I see Joe told me this "for a Hollowtech II BB you would need to chase and face the BB shell!" what exactly does that entail if I were to choose Hollowtech?

(09-02-2013, 12:03 PM)Wilbert Wrote: Thanks Nigel, will do I am tempted to strip the paint off first and try my hand at the Brasso polish technique as seen in hcjg1's thread!

* I see one of the cranksets you suggested was a Hollowtech and I see Joe told me this "for a Hollowtech II BB you would need to chase and face the BB shell!" what exactly does that entail if I were to choose Hollowtech?

wheels - yes; if you are not too heavy (less 175 lbs no problem at all).

facing is cleaning up the face of the BB shell on your frame. Call around to local shops for an estimate; takes about 15 minutes with the correct tools, which are pricey. You should have it done after you do whatever finishing/repainting of the frame.

chasing is running a tap thru the threads.

Often, the facing tool also chases the threads.

You should remove EVERYTHING from the frame before doing any refinishing, and the crown race from the fork.

(09-02-2013, 04:51 PM)Wilbert Wrote: 175 lbs, I was 230 six months ago, down to 185 now don't plan on getting down another 10, looks like I need a sturdier wheel!

*How do I know what the weight handling capabilities are on a wheel?

Should be okay; I am over 300, and do fine with 36 spoke wheels -> 24 spokes should be okay with 200+ if properly built.

I build my own wheels, and for ISO622 (aka 700c); I prefer Velocity Dyad rims, and 36 or 40 Wheelsmith spokes per wheel.

Wait. Nigel custom builds wheels that are nothing like mass produced machine made. He's an engineer and uses expertise & heavy duty spokes etc.... that you don't get in cheap wheels.
At 185lbs, you need a strong rear wheel. A 24 spoke inexpensive wheel might cut it on the front, but on the rear? I don't think so. A machine built 32 spoke maybe, but less, I don't think so. Perhaps if he is careful & doesn't use them too much?

(09-02-2013, 04:51 PM)Wilbert Wrote: *How do I know what the weight handling capabilities are on a wheel?

Generally, from vendors I have contacted, it is accepted that 200lbs is considered the upper limit of heavy, 165lbs average for 700c with narrow rims, (mass produced, machine made). There are some special heavy duty wheels too, but they are more bucks.
And before you ask, no, I can't get nfmisso to sell wheels either lol. Does the frame guy have any old wheel sets he'll sell you? You can try CL, but you can end up with junk. I see wheel sets with tires/tubes & sometimes cassettes for $60 - $100 around here, about one or two a month, except in the fall & winter. They are usually OEM wheels that have been upgraded.
I think that with patience you will see an entire bike for $100 - $300 asking price, that you could strip for parts, just a thought.
That said, that frame of yours would look great with those 24 spoke wheels you found!

Nice job stripping the frame IMO if its aluminum , it looks like it is, polish it a bit and leave it unpainted...

AS for the rest fish around this site for parts, they will also offer real world advice if you call them, They have wheels in several sizes and everything else. They can get you the right parts, unlike ebay or amazon...... Also look up Nashbar and Performance Bike...

Do you know what size wheels were on there ? The 27 inch brake pads can usually be lowered to accept 700 wheel not sure if its vs........Unless you do not plan to use current brakes.

(09-07-2013, 03:24 PM)GeorgeET Wrote: Nice job stripping the frame IMO if its aluminum , it looks like it is, polish it a bit and leave it unpainted...

AS for the rest fish around this site for parts, they will also offer real world advice if you call them, They have wheels in several sizes and everything else. They can get you the right parts, unlike ebay or amazon...... Also look up Nashbar and Performance Bike...

Do you know what size wheels were on there ? The 27 inch brake pads can usually be lowered to accept 700 wheel not sure if its vs........Unless you do not plan to use current brakes.

BTW the upper downtube parts look like mounts for friction shifters , so its an old frame.

Yea, I think I will leave it bare, that was only about 1.5 hours worth of polishing, a little more elbow grease and it should look nice! Found minimal info on the frame although there still seems to an Author bikes web site that is making and selling modern frames. According to the history of the company, they were started in 1993, and that is the date under the BB on the frame so I guess it was one of the first from them. I assume it had 700c tires on it as the friend who gave it to me is big into road racing, I will question him more on it when he returns from vacation.

Am I correct to assume if those mounts were originally for down tube friction shifters I will be able to run STI indexed and use an adapter on those studs to hold the cables?

Just do not polish with steel wool, use fine brass wool that boaters use. Steel wool will leave a residua that will rust.

If its 1993 than I doubt it was friction shifters. Yes you can use it for cable guides. The road bike equipment is very expensive as far as the shifters go so you may want to consider using mountain bike trigger shifters on the top bar.

(09-07-2013, 07:19 PM)GeorgeET Wrote: Just do not polish with steel wool, use fine brass wool that boaters use. Steel wool will leave a residua that will rust.

If its 1993 than I doubt it was friction shifters. Yes you can use it for cable guides. The road bike equipment is very expensive as far as the shifters go so you may want to consider using mountain bike trigger shifters on the top bar.

Yes, I am finding that most everything for a road bike is expensive. I like the idea of mtb shifters. What about the rest of the drive train from a mtb or a hybrid. Would they work? There seems to be a better selection of those on CL to choose from, lots of smaller frames or high end kids bikes with good components going for cheap.